Integris President: The Modern MSP Needs to Verticalize

Integris is one of the largest platform MSPs in the country, serving customers across verticals including community banking, healthcare, and legal. President Glenn Mathis spoke with Channel Insider about why now is the time for MSPs to shift their business models and embrace the vertical market approach to IT services.

Rising complexity: why vertical expertise is now essential

Integris has built deep expertise in the verticals it supports, and its offerings are tailored to each vertical and the unique needs of its customers. To Mathis, this model is not just a successful business strategy—it’s a direction all partners must move towards to stay competitive.

“Most MSPs historically have focused their services around the device and the user,” Mathis said. “A more one-size-fits-all approach worked in a time when most organizations did things with technology the same way, but the landscape has changed.”

“SMB customers are more sophisticated now than they have ever been, and most industries have a ‘Rosetta Stone’ of language, processes, compliance needs, and other things that are specific to that vertical market,” he continued. 

Mathis notes that the “tip of the spear” moving forward will center on the increasingly complex demands on data, as AI and other forms of technology utilize it heavily to drive gains in efficiency.

“MSPs won’t just need to support the demand for data from a technical standpoint with infrastructure and solutions, but also then with advising customers who want to find ways to leverage AI for business intelligence and reporting capabilities,” Mathis said.

“If an organization is looking for an MSP, the average SMB has utilized between two and four partners already in their lifetime,” said Mathis. “Historically, most MSPs have done very similar things. This is an opportunity now to really create something different that helps SMBs succeed in their market.”

This lack of diversification can also impact customer service and overall satisfaction.

“When you call into a help desk, you want them to be fluent in your problems in your language,” Mathis said. “But if you, as an MSP, have your technicians spread across so many different clients in different industries, they can’t possibly understand everything in-depth like that for everyone.”

Identifying ICP, mapping potential markets, and more: the steps partners can take now to build a new future

Any MSP will need strategic planning, resources, and time to implement the shift Mathis advocates. Further, Mathis warns against MSPs jumping all in on one vertical without considering a few key components of future planning.

“You can’t just pick a niche and go; you need to build a differentiated model that you can scale across clients,” Mathis said. “Start by considering your current client base: do you already serve a grouping of customers in one market or another? That’s probably a good place to start, and then evaluate your right to win and start developing your model from there.”

Mathis offers a structure he calls a “right to win scorecard” through which MSPs can determine whether a vertical might prove viable for long-term growth. The collection of things to consider and plans to weigh includes:

• Existing clients and what, if anything, verticals a partner might already specialize in somewhat by default
• What are the barriers to entry into a vertical, and can a partner enter a market in a lower-cost way than competition
• How can a partner build a standardized tech stack to support the needs of clients within a vertical market, and how can that stack scale over time

In addition to enabling partners to be more competitive, Mathis argues that this shift towards vertical expertise will most benefit end customers.

“This is, ultimately, better for the customer,” Mathis said. “This is more premium support and a more premium service, but it pays off for them and for their partner in the long run. Customers who feel like their partner really understands them will be stickier and less likely to consider moving to a new partner.”

Glenn Mathis joined host Katie Bavoso for a recent episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV, which discussed Integris’ approach to being a platform MSP. Listen to or watch the episode to learn more about how Integris scales and supports its clients.